


CheepCheep the Chickadee

by isabeau25



Series: Wander Home [10]
Category: Epic (2013)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2014-04-03
Packaged: 2018-01-18 00:41:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1408627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isabeau25/pseuds/isabeau25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nod's first trip to the market ends with treasure, at least if you ask him. <b>This story is included in <i>Babe in the Woods</i></b></p>
            </blockquote>





	CheepCheep the Chickadee

**Author's Note:**

> This happens about two months after [The Naming of Nod](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1399300). Nod is still with Ronin, and Nim hasn't yet been able to find him in the scrolls. Nod has also started talking finally, although his language skills are still a little rough.

Ronin opened the cupboard and discovered a half empty jar of jam and an almost empty canister of acorn meal. The next cupboard had an empty bag that had had dried fruit in it two days ago. He checked Nod’s cupboard and found a bag of honey brittle he was sure he had hidden on the top shelf yesterday, along with two sunflower seeds and a stale biscuit. The biscuit hadn’t molded yet so he left it, but he pulled the honey brittle out.

While Nod would probably have been content with honey brittle and jam for lunch, Ronin was of the mindset that they should have something more substantial. Plus, Orla tended to appreciate it when there was food in his cupboards to feed Nod. She was there to take care of the boy, not to do Ronin’s shopping for him.

He hadn’t taken Nod with him to the market yet. He usually stopped by on his way home, but he hadn’t gotten around to it for a few days. Nod would probably do alright. As of late, the boy had been more inclined to cling to Ronin’s leg and growl at people when he was nervous, rather than run off and hide. As odd as it seemed, it was actually an improvement.

“Nod, do you want to go to the market?” Ronin called.

“Market?” Nod appeared in the kitchen doorway, looking at Ronin curiously.

“It’s where we get food,” Ronin explained.

The child was learning words at a remarkable pace, or maybe relearning them, Ronin wasn’t really sure. He only seemed to need to hear them once to know them, and his comprehension of what was being said to him had improved significantly. It made things much easier, although the boy still struggled to make himself understood most of the time.

“Honey brittle!” Nod said brightly and held his hand out expectantly.

“If that’s the only thing you think of when I say food, I’m doing something wrong,” Ronin shook his head, but pulled a piece of brittle out of the bag and gave it to the boy.

He would have to find a better place to hide it. Nod had found all his hiding places so far.

“Let’s go get your shoes on,” Ronin said.

“No,” Nod replied, happily crunching on his brittle.

Ronin sighed. Sometimes, the boy had no trouble making himself understood at all.

* * *

Ronin was not surprised that Nod wanted to be carried as soon as they got down to the market. Large crowds and noisy places still made him nervous. At least his head was up and he was looking around, instead of trying to hide against Ronin’s shoulder.

It worked alright for the first few stands, but eventually Ronin had to put him down so he could get things. Nod latched onto his leg and hid his face against Ronin’s hip, insisting on being picked up between every stand. If nothing else, the boy was going to keep Ronin in shape.

Ronin was picking out pickles when Nod suddenly let go of his leg and grabbed his hand, tugging excitedly.

“Ronin, chickadee! Chickadee!” Nod bounced and pulled on his arm.

“What?” Ronin looked down at him, doubting that there was actually a bird in the market.

“Chickadee!” Nod pointed.

Ronin turned and realized Nod had spotted a stuffed toy bird sitting on the counter of a clothing stand. It was made from yarn and had the black and white markings of a chickadee.

“Yep,” Ronin smiled down at him, “that’s a chickadee.”

“This way!” Nod sunk his weight back into his heels, trying to drag Ronin in the direction of the stand.

“Let me finish here, and we’ll go look,” Ronin squeezed his hand and kept a good grip on him while he finished with the pickles.

Nod bounced beside him, relatively patient, and Ronin was glad the boy hadn’t worked up the nerve yet to leave his side. Once he did, there was no telling how Ronin would keep track of him.

Once Ronin had finished, he let Nod lead him over to the stand. The laurel jinn at the counter smiled at them, and it was hard to say if she recognized Ronin or not. Everyone knew him when he was in uniform, but he sometimes got lucky when he was out of uniform and was able to slip by unnoticed.

“I have sweaters in his size,” the woman said.

“Chickadee!” Nod pointed excitedly to the stuffed toy.

“What about the bird?” Ronin asked the woman.

Nod didn’t have many toys, mostly because he seemed to consider everything in Ronin’s apartment a toy, so Ronin hadn’t seen the need to get him any. It was obvious though that he was quite enamored with the bird.

“Of course,” the woman handed it down to Nod, who immediately released Ronin’s hand to hug it tight.

“I think we’ll take it,” Ronin laughed, rumpling the boy’s hair.

Nod skipped happily through the rest of the market, the stuffed bird held tight in one arm and a firm grip on Ronin’s hand with the other.

“So what are you naming him?” Ronin asked as they walked home.

“CheepCheep,” Nod said cheerfully.

“That’s the sound it makes,” Ronin said in amusement.

Nod whistled like a chickadee.

“I stand corrected,” Ronin snorted, “that’s the sound it makes.”

Nod giggled and cuddled the bird close, “CheepCheep.”

“CheepCheep it is,” Ronin agreed with a laugh, scooping Nod up and putting him on his shoulders.

The boy squealed with laughter and whistled like a chickadee all the way home.

**Author's Note:**

> Here, have a [picture of CheepCheep](http://www.etsy.com/au/listing/130114446/hand-knit-bird-natural-off-white-stuffed?ref=shop_home_active), although he's [chickadee colored.](http://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/bird-species/songbirds/black-capped-chickadee/)


End file.
